About the Book:
A big-hearted romantic comedy in which the First Son falls in love with the Prince of Wales after an incident of international proportions forces them to pretend to be best friends…
First Son Alex Claremont-Diaz is the closest thing to a prince this side of the Atlantic. With his intrepid sister and the Veep’s genius granddaughter, they’re the White House Trio, a beautiful millennial marketing strategy for his mother, President Ellen Claremont. International socialite duties do have downsides—namely, when photos of a confrontation with his longtime nemesis Prince Henry at a royal wedding leak to the tabloids and threaten American/British relations.
The plan for damage control: staging a fake friendship between the First Son and the Prince. Alex is busy enough handling his mother’s bloodthirsty opponents and his own political ambitions without an uptight royal slowing him down. But beneath Henry’s Prince Charming veneer, there’s a soft-hearted eccentric with a dry sense of humor and more than one ghost haunting him.
As President Claremont kicks off her reelection bid, Alex finds himself hurtling into a secret relationship with Henry that could derail the campaign and upend two nations. And Henry throws everything into question for Alex, an impulsive, charming guy who thought he knew everything: What is worth the sacrifice? How do you do all the good you can do? And, most importantly, how will history remember you?
My Review:
“You are,” he says,” the absolute worst idea I’ve ever had.”
Henry’s mouth spreads into a slow smile, and Alex kisses it.
I have SO many highlights from this book, it’s just that enjoyable! I absolutely loved this sexy, romantic and FUNNY political/royal romance. I went into this one with very low expectations and I can say that I was simply blown away by the fresh and very timely story.
Alex is the son of the female President of the United States. And he his half-Mexican. And gay! His whole life is lived in a bubble with every move and every comment filtered and scrutinized by the world. But his life is not nearly as tightly controlled as Prince Henry of England.
Alex and Henry are compelled to spend time together in a fake friendship for the sake of continued good relations between the US and England. But in a classic enemies-to-lovers trope with a twist, they begin a relationship. Alex at first declares himself to be bisexual while Henry is 100% certain of his feelings towards other men.
He needs a list. So: Things he knows right now. One. He’s attracted to Henry. Two. He wants to kiss Henry again. Three. He has maybe wanted to kiss Henry for a while. As in, probably this whole time.
The author takes the time to build the characters and their attraction to each other. I really felt the epic connection between Alex and Henry which is SO important to me while reading a romance! When Alex and Henry finally share their first kiss, it is nothing short of epic! I am still swooning.
Alex makes a mental note to figure out which shadowy gay noble taught Henry all this and send the man a fruit basket.
There are several excellent supporting characters and also lots of political intrigue. All of the supporting characters are smart and funny. The story feels very modern and while not realistic in some parts, it is a swoony and low angst romance. I enjoyed every word! The dialogue is fast-paced and witty and very funny.
There are some serious themes in the book such as Alex’s racial background, right-wing politics and what it means to live your life under the constant glare of the tabloids. But this is a romance after all, and everyone gets their happy ending.
I appreciate the twists in the contemporary romance genre and adored Alex and Henry. Opposites really do attract! There’s a lot to love about this book and I highly recommend it. The writing is fresh and vibrant and the story is modern, sexy and heart-warming. Casey McQuiston really delivers with ‘Red, White & Royal Blue’!
“You are quite literally Queen Victoria’s worst nightmare.”
“And that’s why you love me.”
A copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.)
